Yes, I've been away. But never mind that - here's some knitting.

The being away was for ten days, give or take, and most of it was really enjoyable, or useful or both. No doubt I will stretch out the relevant tales over several blog entries over the next few days.  Meanwhile, in keeping with my determination to keep the knitting aspect of the blog up to date, here are some recently finished projects. Many of them are Christmas presents but I reckon I'm safe since neither of my boys, or my daughter-in-law,  actually read my blog. 

I started this jumper and hat set for younger grandson way back in the spring, then put it to one side when my eyes couldn't cope with reading the pattern. Recently finished and I am very happy with how it turned out. 

As always I have an 'if I were doing it again...' because I was brought up never to be happy with anything I did, and if I were doing it again I would put some red on the hat, but you know, I'm not doing it again, and a three year old isn't going to write me a  thank you letter saying 'I wish you'd done the ribbing on the hat in red' So I'm not going to stress. 

Then there are the Christmas present socks

These are for son number two who, like his father, likes bright socks.

These actually are mine, and not for Christmas, which is as well considering how much I have worn them since I finished them.

These are Christmas socks and are for Son No 1, who like me, prefers his socks to be on the conservative side, colour wise. 

I haven't yet posted about our experience of the annual archaeological extravaganza that is Brochtoberfest here in Orkney. I will, but meanwhile it is worth noting that if there was one thing that it taught me, it was the value of a warm, close fitting hat. I didn't have one, but never let it be said that I don't take lessons on board. Not long after I got home and started to warm up, I cast on this. It's basic, it was a quick knit, the yarn was in my stash and how I wish I had cast it on in the days before Brochtoberfest and not afterwards. And yes, I am going to do a matching set of fingerless mittens. Just not yet. 

That's it for knitting for now except for a shocking story. I was on the train from Leeds to Edinburgh yesterday afternoon. Happily I was not sitting on the sunny side of the carriage, although the lady  opposite was, naturally. As a result she was having problems seeing her Kindle and so she pulled down the anti-glare blind. Immediately the woman behind her squeaked 'I need the light'. Then she stood up, lowered over the reader (she was a big woman) and said 'I'm knitting. I need the light. You've pulled the blind down. I need you to put it back up'. Which the startled reader did; after which she had to curl her left hand round her Kindle in order to see the screen. Since the blind really does just reduce glare without cutting down the amount of light, I was annoyed and embarrassed that a fellow knitter should make such an unnecessary and really rather selfish fuss. I always think that knitters are all nice people, although I don't know why I think this, because experience has taught me that although probably about 98% are, there is always the stray 2%, and sooner or later you're going to meet one. 

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